


Center of the Universe

by LeChatRouge673



Series: Cat's Song [17]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Modern AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-12
Updated: 2018-06-12
Packaged: 2019-05-21 10:01:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14913296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeChatRouge673/pseuds/LeChatRouge673
Summary: A single day in four separate years. <3





	Center of the Universe

_28 Wintermarch, 9:38 Dragon_

A soft, steady knock at his bedroom door dragged Loghain from his sleep. He glanced at the clock; saw that it was not quite 6:00 in the morning yet. It was a rare occasion that he was able to sleep in much, but he had hoped to take advantage of the fact that it was his birthday to maybe, just once, stay in bed a bit longer than he knew he should. And since there was only one person who ever got this excited about his birthday…

“Anora, as touched as I am by your enthusiasm regarding the fact I have somehow managed to stay alive long enough to complete another rotation around the sun, I was hoping to postpone the inevitable barrage of social activities you have planned until later in the day.”

He heard the door open and was ready to launch into another round of protests when an amused voice drifted into the room.

“Bet you’d be even more interested in _my_ enthusiasm.”

_Oh_. Loghain rolled over, his eyes meeting the storm blue of Theadosia’s. There was the familiar half smile playing across her lips and her hair tumbled down in loose auburn waves, and he knew she’d worn it that way simply because he’d told her how much he loved it. She was wearing one of his old sweatshirts that came down to her hips and, if he had to guess, the black lace set she knew drove him absolutely crazy. It probably should have occurred to him to ask where exactly her pants were, but he knew her better than that.

“Well I am definitely awake now.”

Her smile broadened slightly and she laughed, pulling his sweatshirt off over her head and tossing it aside before slipping into bed beside him and nestling close to his chest. “I wanted to surprise you before Anora dragged you off somewhere. I know you’ve been dreading today.”

“She means well,” Loghain sighed, wrapping an arm around Theadosia’s shoulders and running his thumb along her arm. “Though I admit I would much rather spend the day like this. With you.”

“Mmm,” Theadosia hummed in agreement, pressing a kiss to his shoulder. “We could, you know. You could tell her you’re sick, and you and I could spend the whole day in bed. Or I could go downstairs and see if you have anything in that desert you call a kitchen that I could cobble into a proper meal. Failing that, I know some delivery services that won’t ask too many questions.”

Loghain was quiet for a moment. There was truly no other way he wanted to spend his birthday than in the arms of the woman he loved. Maybe he would even be able to find the courage to _tell_ her he loved her, rather than continuing this charade that kept both of them from speaking the truth they feared. “She will kill me, you know.”

Theadosia giggled quietly, nuzzling her cheek against his shoulder as he reached for his phone. “She will not.”

He rolled his eyes, but he punched in the button for Anora’s number. “Anora? I’m sorry, I am just not feeling well this morning.”

His daughter was quiet for a moment, and when she spoke he was surprised to hear the slightest hint of amusement in her tone. “I see. Well, in that case, you had probably best stay home today. It is really a pity you had to fall ill on your birthday, but perhaps you and I can do something tomorrow to make up for it.”

“Thank you, Anora. I am sorry I am disrupting your plans.”

Anora laughed quietly. “Do not worry about it, Father. And give Thea my love, would you? And if you find your courage, you might give her yours as well.”

 

* * *

 

 

_28 Wintermarch, 9:41 Dragon_

 

Had his bed always been so cold?

Loghain stared up at the ceiling of the rooms he had been given in the palace. It was early; too early for him to be awake. He wanted to sink back into the comforting arms of the fade, where his dreams and memories gave him the solace the waking world could not.

Maker, he missed her.

Every damn day he woke up wishing she was back in his bed; back in his arms. Every damn day he wished he had told her the truth about how he felt, and that he had acknowledged the thousand silent ways she had told him. He wished he had not placed his perceived duty to his country before his love of her. And he wished that his life was not spiraling out of control and that the one person who may have been able to save him from himself was the one person he could not bear to risk hurting any more than he already had.

He rolled out of bed with a heavy sigh and began pulling on clothes without really paying much attention. If she was still there, he would have actually put some effort into it: dug out the shirt that she always said brought out his eyes, or found the jeans she said were more distracting than they had any right to be. Now… now it just did not seem to matter that much.

There was a quiet knock at his bedroom door and, for just a heartbeat, Loghain thought it might have been her before he remembered that she had stopped coming to the palace long ago, the pain at seeing him too much for her to bear. Trying to keep the disappointment from his voice, he answered.

“Come in.”

Anora slipped quietly into the room, her expression oddly sad. “Happy birthday, Father,” she said, voice tinged with false cheer. “I know it is still early, but…” His daughter shrugged helplessly, then showed him a clumsily wrapped package. “She left this for you. I think she meant to give it to you herself, but lost her nerve.” Anora paused, taking a breath. “I am sorry, Father.” With that, she set the parcel on his desk and left.

With uncertain hands, Loghain reached for the gift. It was definitely Theadosia’s wrapping job: for all that she had the most beautiful, delicate fingers he had ever seen, she was useless when it came to wrapping gifts. He undid the haphazard wrapping job and pulled out a book. His favorite, actually. His own copy was falling apart and missing pages. This one was new and… yes… he opened it up and flipped through the pages. There in the margins, in her slightly messy but utterly familiar script, were extensive annotations.

It took effort, to go through the entire book and leave those notes. It took time. And Loghain had no doubt in his mind that he was the only one she ever made the effort for. Even now. He clutched the book to his chest and sank down into his desk chair.

_Why did I ever let her go?_

* * *

 

_28 Wintermarch, 9:43 Dragon_

 

Loghain held the letter in his hands, running his thumb carefully over the return address. _T. Trevelyan_. He wondered, not for the first time, why she had never changed her name after she had married. And he tried, not for the first time, not to read too much into it.

_Dear Loghain_ ,

_I hope this reaches you in time for your birthday. I know you never particularly cared about celebrating much one way or the other, but I suppose it is important to_ me _to let you know I remember. I would wish you a happy birthday, but I know that may be a bit of a stretch given that you are still in Orlais. However, I think I have finally worn Anora down enough that she will speak to you again, so hopefully you will be hearing from her sooner rather than later. Andraste’s blood but that woman has a stubborn streak. Can’t_ possibly _imagine where she gets it from._

_Things here are going as well as can be expected, I think. Did I tell you I somehow ended up as an extra godparent to Delilah and Albert’s son? It is, apparently, why they chose the middle name ‘Theodore.’ I am not certain whether I am honored or horrified or somewhere in between. You know how I feel about children although, I will admit, Adrian is not the worst. I suppose._

_Cat and Nathaniel send their regards. I think Cat may be more inclined to forgive you than she is me, if we are being honest. It is my fault, of course: I should have told her about… about us. I should have told her a lot of things, and I think I should have told you a lot of things as well. Things that, Maker willing, I may still be able to tell you someday._

_I miss you, Loghain. So much is happening here and… and I still have some things I need to figure out. There are a lot of changes happening around me and I am still trying to decide what they mean for me and for the people I love. So for now, I suppose I will simply say that I miss you and that you had better not stop writing to me (don’t make that face; I know you’ve considered it more than once out of some misplaced sense of protecting me). I refuse to let you off the hook that easily._

_Love,_

_Theadosia_

He set the letter aside, taking a moment to breathe. Then, he picked up his phone and re-opened the email he had received earlier that day.

_Father_ ,

_I suppose I decided your birthday was as good a time as any to reach out. For all that I still have a hundred questions and a hundred more doubts, you are still my father and I love you. I have missed you._

_And for the hundredth time, I am going to point out that you drastically took Thea for granted. That woman has been working ceaselessly since you left to try and bully, bribe, or beg the right people to allow you to come home. She has also, after more cajoling and nagging that she will ever admit to, convinced me that perhaps I have been unreasonable in my refusal to speak to you._

_I know you did what you did with the best intentions, Father. Truly, I do. You made an absolute mess of things, and even Thea isn’t going to dispute that, but we both know that you did what you did out of love. She is still trying to figure some things out, and I swore I would let her tell you at her own pace, but… damn it. Father, she loves you. I know she does. And I know you still love her, too. So maybe when things settle down here, and when you are finally able to come home (and you will: if you think for one moment that either Thea or I are going to allow the wardens to keep you in Orlais you are sadly mistaken), you will finally say what you need to say. Perhaps both of you will._

_I will write more later, I promise. Happy birthday, Father._

_All my love,_

_Anora_

 

* * *

 

_28 Wintermarch, 9:44 Dragon_

“Happy birthday, my love.”

The words were whispered against his ear, accompanied by a kiss pressed to his cheek and the warmth of his wife’s body pressed up against his. Loghain wrapped his arms around Theadosia, and as he looked into her eyes he actually smiled. She reached a gentle hand up to rest against his cheek, and he turned to press a kiss to her palm.

“This year, it might be,” he admitted, his hand lazily stroking the line of her spine down the curve of her backside and back up, fingers tangling gently in auburn waves. “I am married to the most stunning and brilliant woman I have ever known, and I am home with her. I can ask for nothing more than that.”

“So.” She shifted so that her arms were folded neatly over his chest with her head resting on them, storm blue eyes meeting his through long lashes and a smile playing at her lips. “What would you like to do to celebrate your anniversary of successfully completing another rotation around the center of the universe?”

He ran his hand over her hair, his thumb brushing briefly along her cheekbone. “The sun may well be the center of the known universe, Theadosia Livia Mac Tir, but you are unquestionably the center of mine.”

Theadosia laughed softly, her head tilting up so that her lips met his as she brushed a gentle kiss against his lips. “Damn it, you’re good,” she breathed as they parted, her nose rubbing his affectionately. “I love you, you know that, yes?”

“I love you, Theadosia,” he replied, words quiet and in a tone saved only for her ears.

“You still did not answer my question, however,” she pointed out. “It is your birthday. We can do whatever you want.”

“Well, I will concede I have some thoughts on the matter.” Loghain ran his hands down Theadosia’s sides, coming to rest on her hips and pulling her close. “However, for the moment… as ridiculous as it probably sounds, I think the one thing I would like to do most is simply sleep in.”

Theadosia gave another small hum of laughter, but settled in beside him, her back to his chest. She nestled closer as he wrapped an arm around her waist, and he pressed a kiss to her hair, breathing in the scent of lavender she wore and just _her_. He could feel the steady beat of her heart beneath his hand where she had twined her fingers with his and pressed it to her chest, and he could hear the soft, steady rhythm of her breath as she slipped back into sleep.

Loghain let his head sink back against the pillow with a quiet sigh of contentment. This year… this year, maybe his birthday would truly be worth celebrating.

 

 


End file.
